I personally asked George to describe an incident that occurred with the two of us when we trained together for the first time, here in Austin, Texas. His reaction to working with me was so powerful and strong,that it became one of the most moving experiences I've had in my life. His honesty and candor is somethingthat many men lack in the arts. I value George's insight and work and am honored to know him.(side note: I earned the nickname "Medusa" in many training and one on one scenarios...women harness an energy rarely matched by men. I'm not embarrassed or ashamed by this, as many great female heroines,spies,assassins used their eyes and energy to control a situation. George is one of the very few (2) men that have stopped me dead in my tracks and caused an energy shift. Take note fellas.)
Emasculation in Training
Martial Arts (Siberian Cossack Systema)
November 20, 2015
George Borrelli Systema Colorado Springs
I have experienced where certain women seem to be able to counter my
Systema martial art work, arresting my abilities to get “control”. In
this discussion, to keep it interesting, we will address sex, love,
fear, your mamma, and finally, dancing like you are Agent 007, James Bond.
After a lifetime of martial arts and nearly five years of Russian
Systema, I'm significantly challenged working with roughly 1 in 100 men,
but I'm challenged with most women! The men I struggle with are not just
the larger and stronger men, it isn't necessarily their size. So what is
going wrong and why?
In the cooperative training, while learning, you need a kind of
commitment or honesty to the charge/attack from your partner. Without
that commitment, most of the concepts and techniques are not of great
use. Additionally you need a kind of “lost in the movement” psychology
of the attacker. If the attacker does Systema very well deceptively in
his attack, then things get evened out, more or less. So that is one of
the challenges. You have to make clear when you want your attacker to
have honest intention or a deceptive Systema deceptive and evasive style
of attack.
In the Systema defense, and counters, as should be in most all martial
arts, you cannot “look down”. You can't focus upon the knife hand nor
the punching hand at the cost of not seeing the entire person and
keeping your head up. You must see everything from an upright, balanced,
structured “dancing position”. Watching the hand makes your response
too slow as the hand is just too fast to catch up with. We say that the
speeding train already left the station is much to hard to catch.
Instead, you should stay aware of the total person in an upright
position. This gives you a fighting chance to catch the movement.
As important, you must take the subtle lead of the engagement, similar
to the lead role that a man has in couples dancing. That “lead” or
“frame” to the outside observer, is mostly evident by your structure and
poise, where you look, but there is an internal aspect as well.
Certain women are naturals at using psychological warfare. They have a
“gaze” that can cause you to look elsewhere. Their gaze is behind an
intimidating power. That gaze, if it gets you to look away, takes your
power, focus, posture and ability to work well.
I will explain what I think is happening inside the man when this occurs
at the hands of this special woman. If a woman looks at you with
love-dominating power, as your mother, as a lover, as a demon; that
intensity is something we avoid automatically. We avoid the eye contact,
and sometimes much worse occurs in us.
Culturally we men are taught proper behavior with women. We are not to
challenge mother. We cannot have (even feel) love with a woman other
than “the chosen or assigned” woman, our wife, girlfriend, and/or lover.
In part it is fear because we do not trust ourselves. We also feel fear
because we don't trust this woman putting her “spell” on us. We also can
feel inadequate with a woman's strong and powerful emotions as expressed
in her eyes and body energy. As a man, if we cannot be dominant we feel
in trouble, sometimes we feel emasculated. In effect, we “cannot keep it
up” in the face of such challenge. We “go limp” in the face of this
pressure. Please forgive the sexual connotations, there is no real sex
involved. But this is a dance between the two sexes, so the imagery
works here.
I think something similar happens when a very high level male Master is
demonstrating with you, you tend to be dis- empowered in the moment. You
don't want to challenge him. It wouldn't be appropriate, even if he asks
for it, there are many fears that will prevent you. You fall under his
spell.
In a similar manner, an energetic, confident, and emotionally strong
woman can “take your breath away” and take your power away in the
moment. She does this with a force from within her. That force may be
the force of fearlessness. I say it may also include “love”. To me, that
state of “love” is a state where there is no fear, no anger, no worries,
but a complete deep absorption of the moment and of you. A woman who is
able to love deeply and fearlessly can have that power. Not all women
are able to be quite this present in the heat of the new attack/defense
against a stronger man. Sometimes the energy works against her.
At my first ever training in Texas at the Siberian Cossack Systema, is
where I first met Olivia Overturf. The first time I trained with her, I
experienced something like a complete “castration”, a loss of my ability
to call my normal levels of power. I was “limp”, and I simply couldn't
do the work. I was unable to look at her eyes and face. Since her face
was “in my face”, I automatically felt a need to look away, and
downwards. Looking downwards took my energy, balance, ability to see her
movement in time. I was beaten by her heart, strength, presence, love
power. She was fully in the moment, and that rocked me. She took the
lead of the dance away from me. As a good training partner should, she
helped me by pointing out that I looked away from her eyes and looked
down to the floor. That was quite helpful.
The next opportunity to work with Olivia, I was very cognizant of her
energetic abilities and the affect it can have. I have “danced” with
powerful women before. When I saw her “fire”, I immediately “shifted”
and “became” like “James Bond”. In the movie series, “007”, the hero,
James Bond often danced and made love with a woman sent to kill him. He
simply rose to the occasion. He still embraced and danced with all the
poise and correct posture, he still loved her, but at the same time,
took her balance, and played the man's role in couples dancing, he was
the male lead. But remember that this is a softer lead as in dancing
rather than a brutish behavior. A brutish lead has tension and would be
detected and countered. She would not follow.
So when I felt Olivia's powerful gaze this time, I looked into her eyes,
opened my heart fearlessly and “Became Bond”. My energy and my center
was The Center, not hers. I led her about the “dance floor”.
Little did I know and little did I care, that she had a blade hidden
with a premeditated intent to kill, outside of the choreographed
practice. But I was “in charge” - without being forceful, fully aware,
fully present, taking the lead that she had to follow. My having the
lead interrupted her plan, she was stuck in her own OODA (Observe Orient
Decide Act) loop. I would say she was stuck in the first “O”, observation.
The lesson? You must remain centered, no matter what. If you get
attacked by a strong person who can manipulate heart, love, fears,
deeply inside of your heart, your past, your deepest emotions, your past
pain, you must rise to the occasion! The same is true with a physically
and muscularly powerful person, don't let his power prevent you from
being the gentle lead of the dance of self defense or fighting.
Stay centered young man, take charge, become “Bond”. Keep your head up
and your calm awareness working, and by all means be a gentleman … but
lead the dance!
First of all, I want to thank Olivia for bringing Andrey Karimov to the US. Without her hard work and dedication, none of this would have been possible.
I was so excited to see Andrey's shashka work, especially the videos of his students Natasha and Olivia, because I had finally found something in Systema that I could physically do once again after my forced retirement 5 years ago.*
When Olivia invited me to Texas, I really thought I would have to sit out most of the seminar and just do the whip and sword work. However, like most things in life, my prediction of what I could do was nowhere near the reality. I ended up doing 7 days of training and only sat out for the jump rope work and one other drill. (The funny part is that I didn't do any shashka work until the seminar was over and everyone else had left.)
Out of all the martial arts seminars I've attended over the years, I think this one is in the top two for the effect it's had on my outlook of life. The seminar and the whole Texas experience was exactly what I needed at this point in my life. I had been aimless and basically uninspired for the past few years. Seeing elite people in action has a much more profound effect than any, "You should..." speech can ever have.
Having worked behind the scenes at other events and seminars, I can state this one was off the charts. I've never seen anyone do that much work for 9 days straight. I was literally falling asleep sitting up during the evenings. I'm not sure when or if Andrey slept while I was here. Olivia slept in until 7 am one morning and I thought she was really sick because I had never seen her sleep in so late.
If there was a motto for the Texas seminar, it would have been, "Watch carefully, I'll show you how it's done. Now it's your turn." Everyone was challenged to step outside of their comfort zones and given the opportunity to grow. It was left up to each individual to accept that challenge.
I think most people here did work outside of their comfort zones during the seminar but it will be interesting to see who can continue to do so in real life and who will quickly step back into their personal comfort zones and choose to stop their own growth.
Seeing the pictures and watching the video clips from this seminar, it looks like any regular Systema class. Being here was a totally different feeling. (I trained in a skirt one day!) For me, it wasn't physically demanding training but it was mentally exhausting because all of the work required focus and precision.
Andrey's movements are smooth, precise and coordinated. He made it look so easy that my brain kept saying, "Oh, I know that." Right up until my body replied, "I don't know anything."
As an added bonus, there was a lot of individual attention at this seminar. Andrey's ability to keep the work calm affected the participants and helped everyone stay focused. The balalaika music added another whole dimension to training. It controlled the tempo of the class almost subconsciously. I joked that most North Americans don't dance without alcohol but by the end of the week, everyone's movements were much more free as movement and dance stopped being two different concepts for us.
Some of my favourite drills involved using visual references (like your shadow) to ensure you had proper form and movement. The last day, we progressed to using centrifugal movement to control your partner and also how to counter that movement to regain your own balance. That one drill explained why I always had so much difficulty unbalancing certain partners. It was not the size/strength difference, it was that I was not keeping the proper distance. Such a simple concept made a huge difference.
Andrey emphasized throughout the seminar the importance of being a good partner and attacking in a realistic manner. Again, precision and focus were required from both partners. Immediate feedback is vital when training. Your fist or training weapon should connect if your partner doesn't move properly.
Many people have said they don't want to do the dance part of Andrey's work but the dance movements are the foundation of the fighting movements. We spent a lot of time working on coordination and the payoff was immediate. Everyone's movement and timing improved once we started to get our legs and hips coordinated.
Thank you to Andrey and Olivia for an amazing seminar. To all my new friends, thank you for the fun times. I'm looking forward to bringing Siberian Cossack Systema to Canada. Let's go!
* I retired from Systema in 2010 on my doctor's advice. He told me if I didn't stop, I would go blind from glaucoma (from increased pressure in my eyes) mostly due to the jarring motions and being choked. This was (and is) not an idle threat. While I still have physical limitations in what I can do, Andrey's work allows me to train and teach again.
My experience training with Andrey Karimov, Siberian Cossacks Systema.
George Borrelli of Systema Colorado Springs, 12 November 2015.
I participated in training with Andrey Karimov in Austin Texas, seven days, 31 Oct – 6 Nov, 2015. Training hosted and logistics worked by Olivia Overturf of Cowboys and Cossacks, Austin, Texas. It was my very first exposure to Andrey or Olivia. This essay explains what led me to train with Andrey and the value received.
I'm a lifetime martial artist, having studied numerous styles for decades, starting in Judo at age four. I've spent the recent 4+ years with a focus on Russian Systema. I subscribe to all the Russian Martial Arts (RMA) and have purchased and study scores of videos, books, and pamphlets describing the various approaches. I've been teaching martial arts for many years, it is all that I do. I've had a focus upon developing high level self defense skills, using minimal muscular power. That includes the generation of high levels of physical power in strikes, throws, and take downs.
In searching endlessly for defense concepts for those out-powered, out-numbered or out-weaponed, RMA rises to the top of a crowded number of competing and compelling martial arts. After decades with many/most other arts, I've settled into RMA, specifically the various incarnations of Russian Systema.
Like many others enamored with Systema, E've searched for the very best instructors to relay to us the fundamentals in a clear manner for us to assimilate. I have my favorite instructors in the Vasiliev school and will continue to both train and hold high regard for their work.
As I've trained quite a lot, traveling throughout North America, I find disconcerting symptoms with the approach most common to training Russian Systema. That approach might be described as “allowing” the student to explore, experiment, and interpret in his own way what the Master is attempting to convey. Typically the Systema Master will demonstrate the high-end skills, then let the students explore, mostly on his/her own. Essentially opposite from the Traditional Asian Martial Arts, where every detail is typically described, and endlessly practiced for perfection, from foundational movement including the detailed position and torque of each toe, all the way up to complex fighting skills. Both approaches have strengths and weaknesses, and come from seemingly opposite directions. With both approaches it takes a very long time to master. For the majority today, more time is necessary than they can invest. Although the students no doubt gain various values in the training, it takes more time than they have to develop effective fighting and self defense skills. Sadly some drop out and seek a “faster” self defense approach from systems like Krav Maga, BJJ, or even MMA. I've found in most Systema classes and schools, only a few of the practitioners come close to genuine ability to defend and worse several students are lost souls, not being able to quite grasp Systema. I think it's problem caused by a combination of the Systema approach to teaching and the lack of time the student invests in the training. Occasionally it is a lack of mastery by an instructor as transmission can only take place from master to student.
I felt that I needed a combination of personal transmission from masters, with freedom of exploration and details on fundamentals, with foundational drills in specificity. I've been around the martial arts a long time and have been in too many real street fights. I found drills of fundamentals saved me every single time. I put in a lot more time than the average student but even with the time I can put in I lacked a Systema Master close enough to develop my own personal mastery to the level I was after. I found myself spending a lot of time and money traveling to get more time with Systema Masters in the hope that I could fill in the gaps in my knowledge and execution. It takes a lot of time with them to learn in that personal tradition. I also sought intellectual understanding and bought videos and books from other RMA leaders, who spend time explaining the details, such as Kadochnikov, Paul Genge, Val Riazonov, Dmitriy Skogorev, Kevin Secours, Денис Ряузов (Denis Ryauzov), Vadim Starov, and others. Even then I didn't get quite enough, so began/resumed training in TCMA (Traditional Chinese Martial Arts) and FMA (Filipino Martial Arts) as well as some BJJ, Aikido, and jujitsu, where I found many keys that I brought back to my personal Systema.
Knowing I needed ample time exposure to Systema Masters, I looked for and found ways to get more hours per dollar. Cowboys and Cossacks of Austin Texas planned to host a Master from Russia for a full week and possibly up to a month of training and exposure to him. I was in with that concept as it met the criteria and I was ready.
I had already been recording all the Systema concepts in writing as I learned and in turn taught them. High in importance of the core concepts is movement. I learned that movement is life. I learned and proved this beyond doubt in countless empty handed knife defenses. In 100% of the drills, if the guy defending didn't move off line, he died. What was missing for me was in-depth details of the movement and drills of them. There were/are drills but they tend to still contain a lot of the self exploration that goes along with them. I needed more specificity to fill out my personal Systema. I also had pretty good generalized ideas of the waves and figure eights already and the TCMA had convinced me of the importance of the hip movement. But there was still something missing.
I watched many Systema Masters effortlessly throw people. As I watched carefully, I could see uncanny resemblance to Aikido principals, just smaller and tighter. But I wasn't absolutely certain what the keys to success were in accordance with Systema. So I kept looking, trying, and analyzing.
At the Austin, Texas training Andrey Karimov showed us detailed hip and step movement and drilled us for hour upon hour and day upon day these fundamental movements, I knew that finally I was filling the gaps. I now had the “how” to move in great details. But Andrey's teaching goes far beyond this. He also gave me my own missing link to the Aikido concepts of the moving center of balance, and taking his into yours. Andrey's explanation and drills were eloquently simplified. Once we practiced the drills for hours, it was ingrained. I found myself tossing the largest man repeatedly to the ground without muscular battle and without his ability to resist. Andrey added music, similar to the way I see Paul Vunac of Bruce Lee's JKD use beats of the drum. That music is to help you move in waves, rhythmically, in control, and in calm. It helps you find the energy from one movement to launch your next movement. Most importantly it encourages you not to stop moving.
I have nearly zero interest in pure culture, maybe that's my own ignorance showing but I'm in this for the physical defense capability, not for learning how people dress or dance. That said, the training Andrey Karimov provided was entirely, every second of it, designed to make you a better fighter.
What I was realizing in the year or so prior to my exposure to Andrey is that dance-like movements actually make you a better fighter! Dance includes body carriage, structure, power in movement, proper breathing, keeping of your center, going with and leading the partner, moving efficiently and effectively, just to name a few characteristics. Andrey only included dance movement that is the basis of the actual fighting movement. He painstakingly showed us many fighting applications for each and every movement taught. In this way I got the details that I was searching the world for in rounding out my Systema knowledge and providing me with the drills to practice. When I used his three-step to get off line, when combined with loosely raising of the arms, immense power was launched off the the most powerful parts of my body and finally into the arms. If I continued to movement with a supple falling and rising either in reverse or in the circular pattern begun, partners simply fell. The gentle “leading” of the partner out of his “center” and either continued or reversal was one Systema concept I hadn't fully nailed until with Andrey. He helps you fill those gaps!
“Movement is life”. Not only that but the details of the foot work and hip movement are the basis of the Systema wave and figure eight power that comes from the body. Andrey provided us all of that! The power I could generate was incredible, simply following his foot/hip movement drills.
Finally, the model of teaching Andrey Karimov uses is the best I've found to date. It is “total immersion” with plenty of time to build up, starting with fundamentals. The closest I've seen to this is Martin Wheeler's four day Master Class or any one of the long duration Systema camps. Andrey prefers a full month! I found seven days helped me turn many corners in my Systema practice. I think without that amount of time, I wouldn't have had those breakthroughs. His making the training somewhat playful was a key in giving me the strength to last the entire week as it helped to keep me from over-doing and inserted some lightness in an otherwise very serious and productive training with a true Master.
In summary, Andrey Karimov's training is up there among the very best of RMA Masters. If you get the chance, you should give it a go. He's only been to the U.S. once. Should he return, jump on it! It may just make you the Systema Master you have long been striving to become. Further, the value for the dollar is unbeatable. His training is cost effective and his host, Cowboys and Cossacks work very hard to make it an affordable and very worthy investment in your personal training experience.
Almost three months passed since the events of May in St. Petersburg at the seminar by Andrey Karimov. But the work is still going on. And for a long time I will feel the echoes of those activities and practices that have become an integral part of my life. Everything that happened in those three weeks was an additional impetus to the development. I discovered the joy of playing the balalaika. In the past, once in my hands, balalaika uttered some unpleasant sounds, as if asked: "Put me down!" And I made it. My fingers did not obey. I didn't like my playing. At the seminar we were discussing the tunes and even dancing and singing. And it have revived the game so much that balalaika began asking into my hands. Another discovery for me was the shaska. Thanks to clear explanations of Natasha Kopylova my work with the sword became a pleasure, and it's really very easy to learn it. You just need to practice and the sword will shine as lightning in your hands:) It was an amazing experience communication with our foreign friends Olivia Overturf, Jesse Carrillo, Richard Starseeker andOleg Tchernetsov. I have not had for many years such immersion in spoken English. And spending time with friends was very fun. There were so many events that it seemed not one day passed but three. Quadrille till you drop, Cossack songs,shashka
, work with sticks, combat techniques, work with psychological blocks and releasing them in the water, walking around the city, continuous communication with wonderful people ... Everything is a vivid kaleidoscope of sensations and emotions. I'm waiting for a new meeting with my friends and new joyful experiences together!!!
When I originally started this blog, it was really to discuss what my experiences were in Systema , as a female, in the United States.
Things moved along in several directions, but I never forgot the one topic that really drove me here. I'd like to say my fight training began a few years ago when I stepped on a mat at my first Systema class, but that isn't the case. Ever since I could remember, I loved to fight. And even when I didn't love it, I HAD to fight. And being female meant, that was not "ok".
From my earliest memories of my grandfather watching boxing on Spanish TV, I remember him sort of sparring with me off and on during commercials.I also remember feeling really, really guilty about sneaking around watching snippets of boxing.
That migrated to being slightly obsessed with military arts. I am not even sure how I knew about the military other than my brother had GI Joe "action figures" or that my Dad was in the Army, I just knew... I like guns,mud, and being loud. The biggest issue was that I am half Hispanic. Any Hispanic female will know that means... dresses, bows, long hair and primping..non-stop. That was NOT me. Luckily for me, my parents were divorced and my Dad owned a ranch in east Texas. This really meant one thing...I worked. Hard.
And any kid who is around horses knows that having horses means you work. Our chores were not divided by gender....I didn't stand around chasing butterflies. I picked up hay bales, rode bareback, got knocked around, bit and kicked by horses. Also, my Dad, was an adrenaline junkie. He had a high speed, high powered jet boat that we got to ride in all the time , which meant water skiing, water sports and getting the shit scared out of us when the boat felt like it was about to flip backwards due to speed.
My 'rastlin costume
To top it off, my Dad, was an avid wrestling fan. In Texas, we call it 'rastlin, but still. I got to meet several famous wrestlers as a kid, including Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant and many, many more. It also meant, our house was a constant , non-stop wrestling match. My Dad, was famous for his "claw" move and his hands, were enormous. He was extremely powerful and "trained" me to fight at a pretty young age. He threw me around, kicked, tossed and line drived me endlessly.
And, for what it's worth..at the time, I mostly hated all of this.
I was a nerdy, city kid. I preferred to read encyclopedias, drawing, working out complex math problems and trying to teach myself hieroglyphics in my spare time. There was not one thing I loved about my Dad's antics, because , ..he also had a vile temper(don't worry, he is a reformed angermaniac). And to make things even worse,I had an out of control, hyperaggressive, anger filled older brother. To make matters even worse, due to my parent's multiple marriages...at any given time, I had sets of step-brothers. Which means... I was the only female sibling to all this testosterone filled fighting and pecking order dominance. yay
always had scuffed up panty hose
I never sat around crying about it(unless I was really injured..which DID happen(thrown down a flight of stairs with roller skates on and bit through my tongue)), and I never felt like I couldn't handle anything. I did what any child of the '80's did... I took it,fought back,cried a little, and then hoped I could watch cartoons on Saturday.
Growing up like this, was really the only way I knew. I knew, I hated church because I had to dress up...I knew, I hated being quiet and being talked over by all the boys around me and I knew, there was not much I could do but learn to fight back.
This leads me to my first real school fight. I was in the 5th grade at an inner city school in Dallas. Her name was Cecilia and I will never forget it. Her boyfriend, Michael, kissed me on the cheek in the hallway. Back then, 5th graders, were still playing with toys, so even the idea that anyone had a boyfriend was weird...being kissed was even weirder. My best friend , Sharon, ran up to me in the hallway and told me Cecilia wanted to fight me after school. I wasn't too concerned, because my mom taught at the school, so surely, nothing would happen.
I was dead wrong.
By the time school was out, everyone was really amped up for this fight. Not only was I one of the only white(I am hispanic and white) kids in the school, I was a nerd and my mom was a celebrated teacher there. Cecilia was a bully, one of the bigger kids, and was known for fighting. On the way to the area behind the gym I kept thinking" ok, she's a Jehovah's Witness, I'm sure she won't hit me. She doesn't even say the Pledge of Allegance".--nerd thinking.
The closer I got to the location, the louder Sharon's voice got. "Girl, you just gotta get her....go all out!".
I wasn't even sure what that meant. I started to mentally pray the rosary.
Largely what I experienced in junior high
Before I made a complete turn of the corner, I felt a horrible sting to my face. I had been hit...hard. But not harder than any of my brothers or Dad hit me. When I slightly recovered and stood straight, I made eye contact with Cecilia. The look on her face was completely savage. She came barreling at me at a high rate of speed and all I could do was plant my hand on her face and squeeze. I remember feeling her eyeballs and mouth on my hand and it felt exactly like gutting a deer. As she grabbed gobs of my hair and clothes, I clung to her face and started swinging with the other hand, completely blindly. And speaking of blind...I had yet to get my prescription glasses, so I was damn near blind.
Once the gym coach pulled ME off HER, all I could think was how great it felt. I saw her laying there, flat on her back crying. I looked down and had all my appendages, but I knew I would be headed straight to the principal's office. Luckily, it was Mr. McCallister, who really didn't care and was ready to go home for the day. All he said was" she deserved it..she's a bully." . To this day, I am fairly certain my mom never found out about the fight. Although the following year, I was at a completely different school with a totally different demographic.
Along came junior high at another inner city school , or as what I like to refer to as "where shit went down". My nerd status was still maintained but the very first day of school, I was jumped. And again on the second day. By the third day, I realized, my skin tone was what was making me get my ass whooped. I decided to latch on to a few of the hispanic kids at the school who thought it was really cool that I was "white" but fluent in Spanish. They, were in a gang.
"Getting jumped" became less frequent but the one-on-one fights increased. The severity of the fights got worse, and if I wasn't fighting, I was fighting for one of my friends. By 8th grade I already had a reputation for being a full on brawler.
At about this same time, my already raging brother, began experimenting with drugs. I did not have a safe place to turn to. Not one ounce of solitude or peace. Other than juvi hall.The violence was so chaotic and bad in my life, that going to jail was always a better option.
By my freshman year in high school(again, another inner city school), I had seen so many shootings,stabbings and random fights, I was no longer phased by anything. I was sent to go live in east Texas with, sigh...my Dad.
The smell of horseshit and early morning wake up calls he gave me annoyed me to no end, not to mention that the total population of the high school I went to in east Texas was 300. I was considered a minority because I was half-Mexican and that increased their total minority population to 9 students. On my first day, I was in a throw down with a female football player named Rhonda who already had some missing teeth.
The one thing about the girls at this school was, they were tough. Not like, gang member-shit talking tough, but like, fast pitched softball, rodeo girl who hunts , tough. While I was still in my element of fighting, I was oddly not in many fights at this school.
Before long, we moved to Austin where, I was shocked that an entire month went by and I didn't see or was involved in one fight at school. I spent the rest of my high school career, waiting to fight ( I even started one in science class...).My home life was a different story all together. And way too shocking to go into detail here, but let's just say, I was more than used to sleeping with one eye open. It was rare that the police were not at our house on a weekend. Rare.
Along with getting through all of it, I chose a specifically, physically brutal field to work in. I decided to become a chef. My culinary apprenticeship at times, resembled that of what a Marine would go through in boot camp. I still have a scar from a narrowly missed pan that was "tossed" at me by an instructor. Not to mention, getting yelled at, degraded and sexually harassed on a regular basis...this was, what I was told" all part of the industry". I sucked it up and did my time, and made it out alive and quite successfully. I spent years breaking my back, carrying loads of items, hauling bags of produce and yielding knives with the best of them. And I never cracked, which was perhaps why I was never in need of a job in that field. I loved every minute of it. It was familiar, vile and hard.
Fast forward to today. I am no martial artist, but really wish my parents did put me in some formal training. However, what would change? I grew up , literally, fighting. I read most Army field guides, played with guns and knives and spent a regular part of my childhood with bruises and cuts all over me. While I am not great at Systema, what I did love about it was that I was able to initiate my daily skills into fight skills if need be. The one thing missing, was my gender group.
I had the great luck to train with a few great women, but as a whole, there was no promise of balance for women, at least here in the States anyway. While my local instructors were quite phenomenal and female trainee friendly, nationally, there was not a large presence of females who trained. Even when I asked a leading international instructor if he could guide me to a few female instructors, he boasted there were none. He also told me "women are not warriors"...(I've referenced this in a few other blogs).
The more I asked around, the more I realized , there wasn't much of a niche for women and when I was shown what some women were doing in Systema, it was largely not even remotely like what the men were doing. Often times, I was pointed to "women's self defense" classes, that were taught by the same instructors who taught Systema, just you know... this was for women .
I didn't understand what I like to now call "gender divided training" until recently, when I traveled to Russia to train with Andrey Karimov, who explicitly believes in co-gender training for the purpose of creating social harmony and so the men don't aggro each other out of the room. In fact, Karimov himself discusses about connecting with feminine energy and creating a balance in men, so they do not turn into hyperaggressive males with no pecking order and something to prove. These men, are often super stiff, wound really tight, and have no concept of true movement, which some martial artists say is key in learning combatives. These are the guys you see super ,duper stiff in training videos, often times have veins popping out of their necks and talk about being soft, when really, they just look like they are trying really hard to make a poop.
And....this is also what I looked like training. Not to repeat too much, but my blog about wearing a skirt for 30 days, really drove this home. I was indeed, a hyperaggressive female at one point in my life and it really affects who I am today. To make things completely ironic, I have been approached by several males who teach "women's self defense" in hopes that I would help promote them.
The issue is, is this ok?
I honestly didn't know there was a stigma to girls fighting until I went to a friend's house when I was in 7th grade. She had a younger sister and there was absolutely no holes in the walls, anywhere. She didn't toss her sister into a wall, and they didn't "roughhouse". Usually, when I visited them, I was in shock at how quiet their house was. It seemed abnormal , to me. Later on,I realized this was normal, and what I was living, was not.But, what I lived through, got me through alot of social,psychological and physical issues later on in life(including evading an attempted rape, running out of a burning building, and many other traumatic events)... I never played victim or felt really sorry for myself, and perhaps, my combat like childhood , is what saved me.
When I think of gender divided training, I can only think of one thing..."how would a woman survive an attack if she hasn't been knocked around by a dude?". Luckily for me, while training in Russia, I had instructors that understood this balance and how to teach it.Training here was a different story.
While one woman who I worked with regularly was great, a few others were way too "light" for me. Either I felt guilty not working my best with them, or I felt like I wasted time training. To find a really balanced male to train with, was pretty difficult. My most favorite training partner ever, probably doesn't know he was just that. He was soft enough to guide me, yet firm enough to work with me. He could go slow or fast,and knew what my weaknesses were on the mat. When I stopped training in the US, I realized that this kind of male, would be really hard to find . My anticipation for what kind of training I would go through in Russia, became engulfing. My first day in training I noticed one thing... all the men with whom I was working with, were exactly like this ONE guy I liked as a partner in the US.All of them.
There were several determining factors I noticed right off the bat.
None of these men were hyperaggressive males.
They could dance and sing and play musical instruments.(Karimov himself could sing high notes, often mimicked an old babushka and of course, danced.)
They all had a sense of humor and they all were as powerful as our instructor.
Almost all had been in the military.
None, tried to SHOW me what I was doing wrong or tried to overcorrect me
None made the assumption that I had no idea what I was doing.
Training is indeed different there and the idea of gender division, or "women's self defense" did not exist at all, not in our group. It was "just fight..in a skirt". And that's what we did.
In the months since my return, I've been asked to support or back several women's self defense groups and/or programs. Normally, I would consider it, but when I asked the male instructors of these programs what their backgrounds were in , they'd often list and itemize their college credentials, or police training outlines. More often than not, these men, had never even heard of the areas of Dallas I grew up in,or they had been divorced several times, had no female children and none of them had lived in the slums of anything. Ever. Technically, I would be better at teaching "women's self defense" based on my survivorship rate,alone.
While yes, degrees count for a few points, life experience counts for alot more, IMO. I survived alot of actually being a female and being attacked. I don't live in fear and I don't walk around hyperaware. I am able to sustain huge amounts of pain(ex.breast cancer biopsy , no meds...), yet I am supposed to find comfort in the idea of this gender singular class, that will partner me up with , women who may or may not be fear mongered into training or women who , may or may not have already been attacked(which means, something during the class could actually trigger them). Out of all the "women's self defense" programs I've been sent to evaluate, not one , seems even remotely close, to what I went through in junior high , at the very least. Not one. Including Systema. Even then, only recently , I had the great honor of meeting female Systema O.G.("original gangster") , Janice Bishop. She sent me a link to a video she was in , where she is clearly being punched and she is punching someone else, full force. I had goosebumps watching her footage. In fact, I cried..perhaps out of anger or perhaps because I didn't meet her sooner, or even worse, because no one had ever mentioned her to me. In three years of training.I personally was lucky enough to get punched by an amazing instructor named Marc Breese. Anyone in Systema knows what I mean when I say"lucky enough to get punched". His punch was so smooth and powerful, that I can remember exactly how I felt immediately after the punch and to this day, have not been punched as well as he punched me.
Not that I felt incredibly isolated in training but it would have been nice to connect to the few women that existed in the art in the United States.
Meanwhile, in Russia....my good friend, Olga Malkova is making waves with her phenomenal sword and whip work and I am 100% sure she will kick my ass even harder when I go back to Russia next year. Because, as beautiful and soft as Olga is, the men she trains with, WANT her to be phenomenal , if not better ,than they are.
And let's be honest, Ronda Rousey, really, really helped open up combative arts to millions of females everywhere, but even still... we seem to just not be able to get it right. Not only has she been called "cocky" "mannish" and" he-man", she really lost alot of us(women and men) when she published her "Do Nothing Bitch" mantra.Sigh. I guess saying " I'm not a Do Nothing Yet Intellectually Stimulating Female Who Can Fight" doesn't have a ring to it.
At the end of the day, as an instructor in all this, ask yourself how you train your students.Do you slightly groan under your breath when a woman shows up to class? Do you try to balance the men in your class regularly so when a newcomer female comes in, she won't be scared away? Do you offer gender divided programs, and if so..why? Do you think you(if male) are emotionally, psychologically and physically qualified to train and work with women?
Like I said before, I was extremely lucky to have my first tastes of Systema with some great instructors who were fair and amazing at finding a balance. There were times, I did feel completely stuck in the program here, but I felt that was more the overall "program" rather than the instructors. But I've also trained with men who were extremely aggressive and awkward with women in the class and guess what guys? It shows. And when those same men make "women systema" videos or "women's self defense" videos, it's really, really not a good look to any woman who's got a decent grasp of what female fight culture is about.
If you have a sister, daughter, wife or mother, think.... "what do I want for them?", how would I like for them to feel in a training environment ,would I want them to be grouped with other females like them , and how does that apply to a realistic fight situation? What is the BEST I can do for the women around me in training?".
I highly suggest we all take a deep look at the "combative arts" and stop dismissing women as ho-hum weekly practitioners, and really focus on doing the work, for your school, class or program.Recently, a female Systema instructor in Virginia was promoted on a news cast for her free women's self defense class that she offered in light of recent events in her area.This was a HUGE advantage for all of the females in training in the US, yet not really discussed that much overall, in gen pop.I for one, posted it and discussed it as much as possible in the hopes of at least, creating a buzz that "hey...we can teach this stuff too!".She is exactly the kind of woman who should teach a women's self defense class, to other women. But she is also the exception to the rule, as it were , in combative arts.
On another side note, there are many, many Combative Arts forums and discussion pages, that have very little , if at all, female presence. And it certainly shows by the Neanderlithic tone of conversation, in a weird way. While some men are completely snarky and catty, others have very little or no actual survivorship rate, not enough to teach Combat Arts anyway. And most, count the times they were in a drunken bar fight. If you whittle away all the "I can teach this because of A,B and C"...and we are left with people who have only trained in so many arts that they have convinced themselves they are good, OR if we ask for real, life experience...by default, women would be better instructors across the board. We deal with every day attacks on our emotions, psyche, physical pain(hello...menstrual cramps and childbirth) , forced to perform out side of our comfort zone(have you walked in heels and a skirt near a construction site??no??try it)...but most men on these forums ONLY argue about how much better they are than the other men , or , how much MORE "paid for" training they've had. Very few can have an intellectual debate about fighting.Most of these same men, don't even have a girlfriend, wife,daughter or significant other they would dare to try to DEFEND. Imagine that?...why are they taking combative arts if the only thing they combat , is the keyboard?
I never paid for any of my combative experience growing up.It was all free. So the overall question that gets trounced over and over is "WHY DO YOU TRAIN?". It's asked in every single forum I've been on, and very rarely, does anyone say" to protect my family". If you take an honest look at your reasons for training, and the reason are not to protect others, then why ARE you training?
And guys, for what it's worth...a GREAT male Systema partner is really someone that treats us like a brother would(a normal one)...roughs us up, teaches us how to fight, then lets us try it out without ego or getting frustrated. Remember..you want us to learn just as much as we want to learn from you.
(thank you to M. Brock for being the best male partner of all time and to Janice Bishop and Tiffany Lee for pioneering women in Systema in the U.S. and to Emlyn, for without, I would not have even begun this journey)
I am reposting this blog by Mr. Borrelli with his permission. This article hit home for myself on many levels, but specifically since research the deep relationship between horses and Russian Cossacks.
From my title, you are thinking, “What do horses have to do with Systema?” and maybe, “What the heck is Russian Systema anyway?”
Well I study martial arts and I live with horses where my wife trains and shows and competes. I am fortunate to help her. I've had the opportunity to handle horses under difficult circumstances.
I've experienced that animals are mirrors to your soul... and certainly to your tension or lack of it. Horses and probably all animals, are reflections of you and your tension.
It's more about you and your self control, your inner tension than anything else. The horse “leans” on you, even when you are standing by him. If you are not there for him to lean on, then there are problems. This is analogous to what we learn in Russian Systema about our interation with our partner/attacker/opponent.
Having been in many martial arts most of my long life, these last four years I had been exploring, studying, practicing, and teaching Russian Systema, a martial art that isn't all that well known but who's focus, much like Chinese QiGong is more about your inner state.
We have a young Arabian horse gelding, we call “Rebel”, who isn't used to the commotion of the horse show competition environment. Last year, at age 4, he went to a show at Estes Park, Colorado, where simultaneously was a bull riding rodeo and a car show. The place was hopping. And unfortunately for us, attendees don't understand that our horse can be easily startled.
My wife asked me last time to stabilize the young Rebel, while she washed him in the horse wash rack outdoors. Unfortunately they opened the gate close by behind and in the next building the car show took place. People were loud and coming and going right behind us, some approaching loudly. Rebel wanted nothing to do with all this madness!
Suddenly my wife said, “Don't let Rebel jump out of the wash rack!” That really got my attention and observed that he could leap up out of the rack and over the 4 foot bars, possibly injuring us all. I knew I had to do something.
What did I do? I “sunk my Qi (chi)”. This is a Chinese QiGong practice, that is exactly what I also do in Russian Systema for achieving a state in my body of calm, in spite of the external dangers, so that I am in my optimum state. In the Russian Systema practice, being in this state is at the center of the entire practice. To know yourself and to return to (natural) form, are expressions used in Systema. I sometimes call it a standing or moving Zen.
So, seeing the urgency of getting Rebel to settle down, I conducted an experiment. As Martin Wheeler had once said in a Russian Systema seminar I attended, that Mohammed Ali, in the middle of a championship fight, would sometimes relax his arms and sigh with his breath and his opponent would unconsciously mirror and lower his guard too. I thought I might try this Systema/Qigong approach, I decided to optimize my inner self and find inner peace and relaxation as a means of possibly helping our horse, Rebel find the same thing.
I was not touching him but I was in front of him with a loose rope. I shut my eyes briefly and imagined my energy “settling” and at the same time used Systema breathing. To my amazement Rebel, who before was nearly rearing up, dropped his head very low and went into a state approaching sleep!
Thinking this might be coincidence (as I do with much of the Systema), I repeated it four more times. Each time Rebel got over-excited, I used Systema breathing and sinking of the Qi, and his head would drop in an extremely relaxed state.
Last weekend, a year later, I got to repeat this experience. But this time I focused upon Systema breathing more than the energy. But the breathing leads the energy. I would breathe in through the nose then out through the mouth, Systema-style. But when I breathed outwards, I would let all my tension go out with it. When I did it, Rebel did that horse sigh that they do as he lowered his head, showing that he was following me in release of tension. I practiced this throughout the washing and Rebel was as relaxed as we could possibly get him. My breathing was leading the tension release in both of us.
I learned that Rebel was emotionally and spiritually leaning on me and he was reflecting my internal state. I had far more “control” over him by controlling myself than by tugging on his lead rope and fighting with him. Fighting a thousand plus pounds of muscle is futile anyway. As is fighting a person's strength futile.
Russian Systema has improved my life in many ways both in self defense and in my day-to-day life. Giving me this ability to manage a large animal is yet another illustration of the usefulness in all of life, of learning Russian Systema and Chinese Qigong as well.
George Borrelli teaches Russian Systema in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA.
About a year ago, I came across a video of some phenomenal skill I had never seen before. The title of the video was called "Russian Martial Arts Exercise 2 Riga Latvia TSA". Now, again, let me restate the fact that I am not a "martial artist" but I have been training off and on for some time. My training, never consisted of anything like this.
At about the time this video landed in my lap, I was recovering from a tragic miscarriage and was on bed rest for at least 3 months. My body, my abdominal area and my back were completely destroyed...my diaphragm was shot. I was a mess. I wanted to start back into a routine slowly but really had no idea where to start, again.
I am now aware that this is a common exercise developed in other art forms and there are indeed , instructors in the US who demonstrate this, but IMHO, none as smoothly and as well as he did. It wasn't even that it was smooth, it was that there clearly was something about his calm demeanor and peaceful energy, that just grabbed me through the screen. I immediately began trying to find out who he was, where he was, and where he taught.And I came up empty handed. I asked everyone I could think of. I think I even publicly posted about him on Facebook. Still, nothing.
Finally one day(albeit it 6 months or so later), someone told me who he was and WHERE he was(faceplant). I managed to contact him and was so extremely thrilled by his pleasant demeanor and openness. Again, this was something not really felt in the larger community in the US( in my opinion). I was amazed at his description of flowing, movement and the inevitable " be like water". My ass, could not be like water. I tried. I tried feverishly to recreate at least 5 seconds of his work. It was completely impossible. I knew, what I had learned, what I was learning and what I would continue to learn, may be in all actuality, a lie. I had zero control over my movement on the floor and no matter how many situps, pushups and squats I was doing, this routine was impossible. This , my friends, was the single video that changed everything I thought about RMA.
Once I finally admitted defeat, I began researching RMA in every language I could think of. I resourced my friends. I resourced my library. I stayed up for days. I watched a ton of Karimov videos and picked his brain relentlessly. I studied history, warfare, Cossacks, military movement , all from a Russian perspective(some I already knew, some I was able to get really deep into). I was determined to go to Russia, it was the only way to quench the desire I had for more.
Months went by and my computer crashed multiple times with info overload. I bought a laptop. It was full within weeks. My physical library was overloaded. I had databases in databases. I still do. I spent every second I could trying to unravel some of the most complex theories and practices of Russian Martial Arts and the Slavic Arts. All because of this video.
For me , going to Russia was not a choice. It was just the beginning. And much to my surprise Sergey Zhukov met me in St. Petersburg. I honestly thought it wouldn't happen.But once I saw his face, it was all I could do to not cry. I know..sounds cheesy BUT...he , along with Karimov, were the few faces behind opening my eyes into a different way of thinking.
Seeing Sergey in person was really just amazing. We exchanged basketball gifts and headed to a local park in Pushkin. Sergey softly explained to me how the basketball thing worked.
He related almost every move into what seemed to be an defensive or offensive technique. The movement can also apply to law enforcement. Dance. Flexibility.Strengthening. Breathwork. Meditation. This simple routine, could really change the way you train, yet rarely taught or explained. Sergey continued to talk about the difference between the word "relax" and "release". Anyone who's been to a Systema class or seminar for two seconds will hear the word "relax" used repeatedly. Yes. Repeatedly.
Sergey's overview was by far more intriguing. To relax , means the body is at rest completely as in ,"fight before bed". His thoughts on using the word "release" instead , in training, made much more sense to me. Release the tension in your body, so you can accept a punch, a blow, and disturbance.
Recently, I continued my "interview" with Sergey and he proceeded to tell me more. ..(roughly translated by Google Translate)
..on movement...
" In my understanding that there is a certain perception of the world around. This perception defines the articulation of movement. All of a person's real intentions show through movement. The basketball is simply a game with movement.I play with different movements and teach them to others. When you are able to move freely, then you stop comparing. Everything depends on you. The individual. Once you start to do something, the results are evident. (sic)."
...on training..." In training, we work with free movement without technology. The body is always changing load. If the load is small , it increases. If it is large, it is too much and becomes exhausted. I believe in "Triangle health" : moderate load, moderate power and moderate rest. It is a balance on all. The body is a great eye. To see all around the eyes must be open. The body must have ability to see danger. In my first stages of teaching and studies I teach how to free the body, how to remove pain from the body and how to remove fear from the body. This is what keeps the body closed. After each training session, the body becomes clearer and clearer.(sic)"
Sergey is currently a Slavic Arts bodyworker, but served as special forces and trainer for 26 years with five of those years in an anti-terrorism group. He trains and has trained in other arts such as karate, Thai boxing, Bujinkan, Aikido, Kali and Systema. He is also a part of T.S.A(tactical speed application) and has several videos online of his tactical training methodology developed to fill the gap for law enforcement and military ops.
You can find out more about Sergey Zhukov, his skills and his work on Facebook.
His You Tube page is here.
I had the great fortune of speaking with Leonid Polezhaev of Sistema Boya yesterday. With his permission, the following is a portion of our Q&A with his thoughts about Systema, Cossack style training, spirituality and combative arts...(he speaks English , yet some words were translated via Google Translate). (preface) I have followed Sistema Boya for a while and recently, found a few of his videos posted on Combat Labs Russian Martial Arts' Facebook Page. While I never continued my research into the Boya school, I always admired Polezhaev's videos and his exquisite skill level. Leonid Polezhaev was both profound and deep in our conversation, which was something I have only witnessed with a handful of other Russian instructors. He accredits this depth with the reality of being in Kosovo in 2005 , where he had a spiritual internal awakening of sorts(roughly described).
Polezhaev spent 10 years from 1998-2008 committed to both his faith and Russian Martial Arts , and in 2008 started his own combative style and methodology. He has a passion for the Cossack style with a focus on personal growth and emotional health and well being. This was something I have become highly familiar with in my understanding how even some of the most sought after instructors really utilize and put into practice in their lives. They negate fear and emotional weakness with a deep understanding of being alive and not taking anything for granted. Often times, their faith is their driving force behind their powerful and effortless movement that reaches a skill level unparalleled to anything I have seen in the United States. The sense of calm and peace radiates from some of the finest instructors and they have all stated that this is the sole reason their skill level is amplified. While at times I still struggle with understanding the complexity of these great instructors, Mr.Polezhaev really explained it at a whole new level.( please note, this is a roughly open conversation with some translation errors and has a generalized open communicative tone-any mistakes made in publishing due to translation will be corrected if necessary) --I asked Mr.Polezhayev to tell me a little bit about himself and what he thinks of the division and contrast to the "combative" arts and the Cossack style and how he feels about the continued debate of what is right, what is wrong on different resources and RMA threads...this is what his response was .. LP: Yes. It is fine. Everyone has his own view on the close fight. I tend to think to what is art - the art of life -humanity and human development through the motions? The vector can be deployed in different directions - you can wear uniforms and belong to the "special forces" or "Cossack", but the inner meaning - what is inside a person - it's energy is what is more important. (on telling me about himself)- I am: Man. Personality. Energy. Divine Energy.Love. No Fear.Violation of Divine Love. Restoring the Balance. No matter distance and time, countries and continents. With thoughts. Promised thought. Micro- and macrocosm. We are together, or not. Friend. Enemy. Love is love. Love is evil. The adoption of an evil. absorption and return back to his Love. Folded point. Expansion into infinity. Attack the enemy in the reflex of fear, anger, hatred, resentment. Pain. Pleasure. Lust. We expose it to the dead point - adjustment and murder with Love. Take his confession and repentance.
Give him the joy of returning to God.
Protection - love pain. Holy Rage. He wants to make himself sick. Take in the waves of love, the Holy Sacred Rage what you spawned. I will recompense, and will give you and erase from this world manifestation of the Void.
Give a death or life. Destroy or (repair)? Decide for yourself. Why have you come to me? The solution is for you. I am your reflection.If the person does not love - he is afraid. Walk down the street and radiate an inner light through a smile (smiling mask). Peace and balance. If you are afraid - then you are a victim. So you sit . Another point - practice - training should lead to a balance and peace, the different rhythms of the training-hall one situation to another rhythm street - but it is also training - the game - the main thing at the end of the game to reach nirvana. (Or soon to enter itself in nirvana). Light destroys darkness around, slowing, stopping time. Disappointment that the enemy stands firm. Beat, tear, and tear it with a smile - and then regret it, or a piece of meat (that is left of it) as a child(sic)
OO: And this is something you have written? LP: Yes.This is the philosophy of "система боя" OO: And where did you train? LP:Kosovo. It was scary at first. My soul trembled with terror. But love has destroyed the fear. When I came back - I felt that while I was there, something very important and valuable to mankind. I was asked to describe how I go into an altered state, Not describe the training process but internal content. OO: Was this during a war in Kosovo? LP: In 2005 there was no physical war,but a spiritual war. There was a place of contact between light and darkness. OO: What about other training background information? LP: In 1998 I graduated from the training system Kadochnikova. and I went to the Orthodox church. Confession - prayer and monasteries - it lasted 10 years. In 2008 I developed my own combat system from there. Now I'm combining everything associated with the Cossack style because (I value) their policies. OO: How do you feel about the criticism that the style of dance and fight are not developed together? LP:It is not true! Dance has to do with the Cossack battle! A dance is the rhythm inside of you - this will be drawing the battle. I love Lezginka. My family lives on the Kuban 160 years. We are Cossacks .Before, we lived Chernihiv (Ukraine) OO: Many "combatives" instructors say it is pointless and there is no reason to train in Cossack style... that there is no history with Russian Martial arts and Cossack style. How do you feel about this? LP:Then they do not understand the soul of the Cossack. We are united by Orthodoxy,but the rhythm of movement of Russian and Cossack dancing is different. But in the end what is the difference - which way to achieve inner enlightenment!? Russian or Cossack style?
While my conversation with Mr.Polezhaev continued on to other topics, the few key points he had mentioned , were commonplace for many of the other highly skilled instructors I have spoken with along my journey, including Sergey Zhukov, Sergey Kuznetsov, Andrey Karimov and Yuri Sheshukov. Their seemingly fearless approach, grace, permanent smile and lack of tension, all come from within. Almost all of these men attribute this practice to having a true understanding of themselves and inner peace. To see Sistema Boya videos you can go to his You Tube page, in Russian language here. Don't speak Russian? No problem, Leonid has an English You Tube channel here. The following is an interesting excerpt I copied from Mr.Polezhaev's Sistema Boya website in reference to the rules of his school. Very , very on point(in my opinion)
Guidelines for Practice "combat system"
"Combat system" should be open only to those who agree and upholds the principles "combat system". Anyone who does not follow this - can not join us. Specifically: Only those who have read and agreed with these guidelines shall be allowed to participate.
Only those able to exercise true patience, self-control, and dedication shall be allowed to participate. It requires a doctor's note. In particular, people with mental illness, drug addiction, or mental instability shall be barred from participation. The need for such a doctor's concerns individuals who may present a danger to others. Naprimer-, those with infectious diseases or clinically insane person or persons who have no self-control.
Persons with criminal records are not eligible to study. Troublemakers, those who commit crimes, and those who live in Russia that violate domestic laws do not have a right to learn.
Those who do not uphold the guiding principles of the "combat system", either as practitioners or as members of society who have committed shameful acts should be expelled.
Regarding accidents occurring during training (both inside and outside the gym), should not cause problems in the "combat system".This is an extremely important point. Those who wish to take personal responsibility for accidents occurring during the practice of "combat system" to learn not allowed. We reiterate for clarity, "combat system" does not accept responsibility for accidents occurring in the course of training, regardless of location.
The tradition of "combat system" recognizes nature and the universality of human life We are studying the way to a man's heart.Recently "combat system" has become a truly international movement. There are various taboos among the peoples and countries of the world. We must respect each other, striving to avoid such taboos. We must put the heart of the warrior first, working together for self-improvement and "combat system". Those not upholding the above-mentioned guidelines should be expelled from the "combat system".
Here is a brief summary of his education and training :
Education: from 1988-1993 - Krasnodar Higher Military
Command School of Engineering Strategic Missile
Forces ( KVVKIURV ) Faculty : ACS; specialty: Cybernetics engineer
Combative Training and Experience:
1977 to 1987 -Engaged in Greco- Roman
wrestling
1988 to 1993 . - Training at a military school
1993 - served in the Armed Forces, a reserve officer
